Veneta pit bull attack costs dog’s owner $606

Chelsea Gorrow

Friday

Jun 19, 2015 at 12:01 AM

VENETA — The owner of a pit bull that attacked another dog and its owner on a neighborhood sidewalk earlier this year was fined $606 in Veneta Municipal Court on Thursday. He told the judge, through his attorney David Hill, that the pit bull is no longer in the city limits.

Brian Lozano pleaded guilty to charges of having a dog at large and failing to license the dog. Each violation carried a $167 fine. Lozano pleaded no contest to a new charge of having a dog that chased or killed pets or livestock and was fined $272 for that offense.

As a result of attorney negotiations, the city’s charge of having a dangerous dog was dismissed.

Lozano had no comment after paying his fine and leaving court.

The victim, Sheri Ascariz, however, asked if she could speak before Municipal Judge Alan Leiman imposed the fines.

“Have you seen the video?” Ascariz asked Leiman, of a neighbor’s surveillance video that shows the pit bull busting through the fence of Lozano’s home and racing straight for Ascariz and her dog, Hachi.

The video shows Ascariz frantically trying to keep the pit bull away from Hachi before friends of Lozano arrived to help.

The judge answered that he deliberately chose not to watch the video as doing so could be prejudicial against Lozano and the city of Veneta.

Leiman told Lozano that if his dog is brought back to the city of Veneta it will be impounded, to which Lozano replied, “I accept that.”

When offered an opportunity to say anything else in court before the fines were imposed, Lozano declined.

Ascariz appeared disappointed in the penalties imposed, but said she couldn’t comment further without her lawyer.

After the trial ended, Ascariz said she is preparing a civil lawsuit. Ascariz said her dog, a Shiba Inu, is recovering, but that she herself is still struggling over the incident.

The attack happened in late February when Ascariz took her dog for a walk around her Eighth Street neighborhood. The pit bull ripped open Hachi’s throat, Ascariz said at the time, and the wound required stitches “too many to count.”

The pit bull also severely bit Ascariz’s hand. The hand required surgery, including pins to hold her fingers in place.

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